Articles of Impeachment Introduced Today Against Eric Holder

I told you last week that Congressman Ted Yoho (R-FL) informed attendees at a town hall meeting that House Republicans would be seeking the impeachment of Attorney General Eric Holder regarding Operation Fast and Furious by the end of the year. Well, now articles of impeachment will be introduced in the House of Representatives on Thursday by Rep. Pete Olson (R-TX) and seven congressmen have signed onto the resolution. These articles go way beyond Fast and Furious.

In conversation with Rep. Olson's office, Freedom Outpost was told that the resolution is set to be introduced Thursday afternoon in the House.

Olson, who was elected in 2009, has been calling for Holder's impeachment since August.

There are four articles in the impeachment resolution.

Article I claims that Holder "engaged in a pattern of conduct incompatible with the trust and confidence placed in him by refusing to "turn over lawfully subpoenaed documents requested by Congress" as part of a Congressional investigation into Fast and Furious.

Article II claims that the Attorney General violated his oath of office to enforce the laws of the land by announcing that he would no longer defend the Defense of Marriage Act in court, even though the law was still on the books.

According to the document, "If the Administration wants to change the law, it should ask Congress to amend it. Only the Supreme Court can deem laws unconstitutional."

Article III contends that Holder also violated his oath of office by refusing "to prosecute individuals involved in the Internal Revenue Service scandal of unauthorized disclosure of tax records belonging to political donors."

"The fact that there was a search warrant carried out on James Rosen means that the Justice Department either intended to prosecute him, or the Justice Department clearly violated the Privacy Protection Act," according to the resolution.

"For nearly five years, we have witnessed Mr. Holder repeatedly deceive Congress and degrade the credibility of the Justice Department in the eyes of the American people," the members wrote. "Last year, the House of Representatives took the unprecedented step of holding Mr. Holder in contempt of Congress, making him the first sitting cabinet official ever to hold this distinction."

"Unfortunately, Mr. Holder has continued to act in a manner unbefitting of a cabinet official; he has failed to perform his constitutional duties and violated the law on a number of occasions," the statement continues. "The House of Representatives should not stand by as he continues to undermine the office of Attorney General."

Olson's supporters so far are:

Larry Bucshon (R-IN)

Blake Farenthold (R-TX)

Phil Roe (R-TN)

Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA)

Roger Williams (R-TX)

Ted Yoho (R-FL)

Randy Weber (R-TX)

I applaud these congressmen for finally bringing this resolution forward. The question now is, when will they do the same thing for Holder's boss?

“For nearly five years, Attorney General Holder has systematically deceived Congress and destroyed the credibility of the Justice Department in the eyes of the American people. During his tenure, Mr. Holder refused to cooperate with a congressional investigation into Operation Fast and Furious and the resulting death of a Border Patrol agent, refused to prosecute IRS officials who unlawfully disclosed private tax records to third party groups, and misled Congress about his involvement in the investigation of a journalist," Olson said.

“Last year, the House voted to hold Mr. Holder in contempt of Congress, making him the first sitting cabinet member to ever hold this dubious distinction. Still, he continued mislead and thwart congressional efforts to bring the truth to the American people. Mr. Holder has failed to ensure that the laws are faithfully executed and continues to act in a manner unbefitting of a cabinet official. I urge my colleagues to join me in beginning this process by cosponsoring this measure now. The American people deserve answers and accountability,” Olson concluded.

The articles of impeachment lay out four charges against Mr. Holder:

1. Refusal to comply with a subpoena issued by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on October 12, 2011, seeking information and documents regarding Operation Fast and Furious. This is a violation of 2 U.S.C. 192.

2. Failure to enforce multiple laws, including the Defense of Marriage Act, the Controlled Substances Act, and the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986. This is a violation of the oath Mr. Holder swore to "well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office" of Attorney General.

3. Refusal to prosecute the IRS officials involved in the targeting and disclosure of tax records belonging to political donors. This is a violation of the oath Mr. Holder swore to "well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office" of Attorney General.

4. False testimony under oath before Congress on May 15, 2013, about the Justice Department investigation of journalist James Rosen. This is a violation of 18 U.S.C. 1621.

Mr. Holder's behavior clearly falls under "high crimes and misdemeanors," offenses that the US Constitution explicitly defines as grounds for removal of a Senate-confirmed cabinet official through impeachment. The time is now for the House of Representatives to act with the authority vested in us by the Constitution and remove Attorney General Holder from office.

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